Numerous fishhooks with means for securing bait thereto are found in the prior art. However, many of these known devices have significant disadvantages. For example, many require the bait to be impaled on a game hook or other restraining means in a manner that can injure the bait or inflict pain. Consequently the bait either soon dies or is so affected or restricted in movement that it presents an unnatural appearance. Further, known fishing devices typically have significant amounts of hardware surrounding the bait. Such external hardware not only may produce an unnatural appearance to the bait, but may also cause an unnatural feel of the bait fish to the game fish during a strike.
Many known devices are also prone to becoming embedded deep within the game fish, which can not only cause significant injury to the game fish, but also make extracting the device from the game fish difficult. Further, known devices and techniques have proved disappointing with certain fishing techniques and when used for certain difficult to hook game fish, such as muskellunge and other North American pike. Many are also prone to being snagged by underwater obstructions, making use with certain techniques difficult.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a fishing device which holds bait without causing the bait to move unnaturally. A related object is to provide a fishing device which will not do significant injury to the bait. Another object is to provide a fishing device which can be used without surrounding the bait with significant external hardware.
A further object is to provide a device and method which fascilitate successful hooking of desired game fish, while reducing injury to game fish. Another object of this invention is to provide a fishing device which is substantially weedless. Finally, it is a general object to provide such a device which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and easy to use. Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following specification when read in light of the attached drawings.